Two Truths and a Lie
by Ghost Rider of the Aragon
Summary: Darcy Lewis has had a fairly boring life as of late. Until a run in with a certain someone throws everything into chaos. "Wait, he was here to kill me?" "Well, he certainly wasn't here for afternoon tea." Featuring TaserTricks, and Loki's Children! Sequel to "Little Brother". Cover art coming soon.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi ya'll! I'm back, and here is the sequel to "Little Brother". Hopefully it lives up to expectations, and meets the same approval as the first part did. Reviews are love! **

**Happy New Year!**

Loki was at his wit's end. Fenrir and Jormagundar both refused to go to bed, and it was already an hour past bedtime for the children. They had gotten into their sleep-clothes, and said good night to Frigga and Thor. Hela was already in her own bed and asleep, what was wrong with the boys? Loki took a deep breath to calm his temper. Now the boys had all but disappeared.

"Fenrir, Jormagundar, I've had enough of this. Come out where I can see you." Only laughter was heard in reply, along with the shuffling of two children's feet as they ran farther away. "What will it take for the two of you to settle down for the night?"

"A story!" Fenrir said, still keeping out of sight. Loki smiled.

"The only way you're getting a story is if you two are in bed." Fenrir sighed and made himself and Jormagundar visible once more. But when they turned around, they found that Loki had disappeared.

"Father?" Fenrir called cautiously. Gunner looked a little scared.

"Papa?" He looked up at his brother. "Where'd he go?" Fenrir shrugged, wide-eyed.

"I dunno."

"What if a bilgesnipe got him?" Gunner hypothesized.

"Father would never let himself be taken out by something as clumsy as a bilgesnipe…" Fenrir said reassuringly, but he didn't sound so certain. He grabbed a hold of Gunner's hand as a loud clatter echoed through the hall. "Besides, Uncle Thor would never let one into the palace…right?" The crashing sound came closer (or seemed to, at least.) Both boys were shaking by now.

"Right."

"Nothing to worry about then…AGH! Something touched me…"

"I'm scared…" Gunner whispered, cowering closer to his brother as one by one, the torches extinguished themselves.

Suddenly they found themselves in Loki's arms. Fenrir actually shrieked a little (which he later denied.) Loki's velvety laugh echoed through the hall, as he picked them both up.

"You should have seen the looks on your faces, my sons." He kissed the tops of their heads as he carried them and set them on their beds. Gunner grinned, and snuggled into the blankets.

"I bet we looked pretty funny…" he conceded. Loki laughed again.

"Indeed you did." Fenrir hugged Loki tightly before allowing himself to fall backwards out of his father's arms and onto his bed.

"So, what about that story you promised?" Loki nodded and opened one of the books.

_Once in a realm, not very far from here…_

* * *

Loki closed the door, his sons both fast asleep. After checking on Hela once more, he went to the feast hall where he knew Frigga would be waiting for him. He smiled a little, thinking of the past year.

How short a time it seemed, yet how long…A year since he had found and freed all three of his children. Their growth in the past year astounded him. At the same time, it made him wonder exactly what he had missed. He still cursed Odin for giving him no choice, and for lying to him about the circumstances of Angerboda's death.

"Loki? Are you all right?" Frigga called when she saw him pacing the balcony. Loki whirled around to see the queen watching him with motherly concern.

"Yes, quite well, actually." He paused, staring out at the lights coming up from the city below. "Any news from Midgard?" he asked. Frigga shook her head.

"Not that I've heard. Your brother still fights alongside his friends."

"I see. And what of Darcy?" He really had no idea why this mortal concerned him so. Perhaps because she had been the one to tase Thor. Loki had always wondered what it would be like to do something like that to his brother. Maybe it was her fondness for his children, but whatever the reason, he found her amusing.

"She is well. Darcy does miss the boys." Loki said nothing, only nodded.

"And Odin?" Frigga remained silent. "Tell me. What happened, mother?" Loki stepped around and took her by the shoulders. The queen turned her head away from her son, her lips pressed together in a thin line.

"I have seen so many things, Loki, even if I could tell you, it would be too late. You must draw your own conclusions. I wish I could tell you…Oh how I wish…" She threw her arms around him, leaning on him for support. "Please, do not hate me for this…" Loki held onto his mother, burying his face in her golden curls.

"I could never hate you, mother. Does Thor know of Odin's whereabouts?" Frigga nodded.

"Yes."

"Has anyone found out that it's not really me?"

"None, save your brother, and his companion, Stark. Darcy and Jane also know, of course."

"Does Odin pose an immediate threat?" Frigga looked uncertain.

"Yes, and no. It depends upon your definition of 'family'."

"What do you mean? If he is no threat to my children, why do you tell me of this?"

"You enjoy the company of Miss Lewis sometimes, do you not?" Loki drew a sharp breath.

"Yes…But I fail to see…" Then it hit him. He had been spending quite a lot of time going back and forth between Asgard and Midgard. He and Darcy had a habit of meeting at some small café or restaurant for coffee and conversation. She enjoyed hearing about how his sons were adjusting to life as normal children. Despite his initial impression of her, she had some depth of personality, and was much smarter than most would give her credit for. To anyone who actually gave them a second glance, it would seem as though they were indeed 'dating'. If Odin had caught wind of the fact that Loki and Darcy were indeed involved with each other, it could be dangerous for Darcy.

Loki had learned this lesson once, and Angrboda had been the one to suffer for it. He would not allow Odin to harm Darcy.

Taking a deep breath to quell the spike of panic in his chest, he gave his mother a half smile.

"It seems I shall have to pay Miss Lewis a little visit."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Happy New Year everyone! I'm probably gonna start posting a new chapter at least once a week. If I slip up, trust me, I'm not forgetting about this story (it's been driving me crazy ever since I finished "Little Brother.) I'm probably busy trying to fix story holes, and attempting to work out the Loki/Darcy relationship. I've never written this pairing before, so any advice you guys could give me would be appreciated. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Darcy Lewis was having a bad day.

She hit her head on the sharp corner of her nightstand when she rolled out of bed. Then, she had been in the middle of a nice hot shower when suddenly her water heater decided to take a day off. As if that hadn't been enough, there had been such a long line at her usual coffee shop, that she couldn't risk being late for work as well.

Even after she was safely at work, the horrors didn't cease. Her iPod died, the new intern took the last of her favorite kind of donut, and the coffee station was out of sugar.

All in all, her day sucked. Though she would never admit it to anyone, she just wanted to go home and cry herself to sleep. Now, she stared listlessly at the computer screen when she should have been working on charts for the latest Stark Industries board meeting.

This was possibly the most boring job ever…even hanging out with Jane and listening to her confusing science-babble was more fun. But ever since Jane had gone to Asgard to stay with Thor, Darcy hadn't seen her. The only break to her loneliness was when Loki came to visit. He would regale her with news of Jane, and stories of Gunner and Fenrir's childish exploits, and some of the less shady tales of his own past. Darcy laid her head down on the desk, feeling even more lonely.

Why did she always have to be the odd girl out?

* * *

Somehow, she survived the taxi ride home. She walked up the stairs to her apartment, and was alarmed to find her door unlocked. She pulled out her phone and dialed 9-1, and held her thumb over the last '1'.

"H-h-hello?" she said as she pushed the door open. No one answered her. She fumbled through her purse for her taser. If she was going down like some horror-flick heroine, no one would be able to say she went down without a fight. "I have a taser, and I'm not afraid to use it." She threatened. She poked her head around the doorpost that divided her kitchen from the living room. _No one there…_ She stepped into the living room, and saw a familiar figure sprawled across her sofa.

"Loki! Thank god, you had me scared there for a minute." Loki sat up and grinned.

"Hello to you too, Miss Lewis." He glanced around. "It had been a while, so I thought I might impose on you for a day, nothing more." Darcy laughed a little, shedding her coat and purse, relieved.

"You know I don't mind. I wouldn't call it 'imposing'. Have you eaten anything yet?"

"No, I wasn't sure if you had plans or not."

"I never have a plan. I thought we'd discussed this..." she laughed as she went into the kitchen, and opened the fridge. There wasn't necessarily anything worthy of company in there, so she decided she would call for pizza, or something like that. She knew Loki wasn't really picky.

Suddenly the buzzer rang. Darcy glanced up, confused. She wasn't expecting anyone else…at least not that she knew of. The voice came through over the speaker by the door.

"Darcy, it's Loki. Might I come in?" Darcy turned around to see Loki standing behind her, a certain dark glint in his eyes. Instinctively she backed away, leaving her end of the speaker system open.

"Wha…who…Who are you?" she stuttered as she fumbled for her taser. The Loki in front of her remained grimly silent as he roughly grabbed her by the arms, and pinned her, with her back against the wall. The voice over the speaker sounded more and more frantic.

"Darcy, who's there with you?" Darcy screamed when the grip on her wrist tightened, and heat poured through her veins. "Darcy!" Suddenly a green flash filled the room, and the real Loki materialized in the middle of the kitchen. The first Loki turned around, releasing her. The two men attacked each other, as Darcy fled to the relative safety of her bathroom, and locked the door behind her.

The sound of the fight could be heard through the thin walls, and suddenly, silence. She huddled in the small space between the vanity and the toilet, hoping to God that the real Loki was okay. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how stupid she'd been. Loki always asked permission before allowing himself into her apartment. Finally she mustered the courage to venture out into the kitchen. Sure enough, Loki stood there, alone this time. The other one was gone. Darcy held her taser out, ready to fire if necessary.

"Which one are you?" She demanded, trying to sound as threatening as possible. Loki held his hands up.

"Don't shoot, we both know that it doesn't work on me anyways…" He followed it up with an amused smirk, remembering. Darcy remembered that the fake Loki had been in Asgardian garb. This Loki was in street clothes. White v-neck tee, black leather jacket…He actually didn't look too bad. Darcy ran over to him and threw her arms around his chest, relieved beyond words.

"Who was that?" she muttered, her words muffled by the leather. Loki held her, glancing around.

"Odin. You know that Frigga banished him after he almost killed Hela. He was sent to SHIELD, disguised as me. He escaped somehow." Darcy pulled away from him.

"So you're not here to visit?" Loki shook his head.

"I'm here to take you back with me. The farther away from Odin you are, the better." Darcy nodded.

"Why is he after me in the first place? I never did anything to him…"

"It's not you, it's me." Noting her confused look, he continued. "He's under the impression that we are in a relationship. He's been watching us. Apparently he saw what happened last time." As unpredictable as always, Loki had given her a kiss on the cheek before vanishing. Darcy still looked confused. Loki's expression darkened. "You do know what happened to Angrboda, don't you?"

"Yeah, Thor told me…Wait, Odin was here to kill me?"

"Well, he certainly wasn't here for afternoon tea."

"Hey, cut me some slack. Someone just broke into my apartment and tried to kill me."

"Fine. You win."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: For this chapter, I'd like to avoid confusion about the ages of Loki's children. I'm going with the idea that Jotuns age about the same as humans, but have the same lifespan as the Aesir. The children are triplets, but with the various forms Odin inflicted on them, their aging was delayed or sped up depending. Hela looks her age (14), but Fenrir looks to be about 12, while Jormagundar (Gunner) looks like he's 9 or 10. I'll stop rambling now and get on with the story.**

* * *

"Is she here yet?" Fenrir asked, bouncing excitedly. Jormagundar sat next to Frigga on the bench, trying to ignore his brother's enthusiasm. As much as he enjoyed having fun with Fenrir, he was in the middle of learning to read. Loki had started teaching him, but whenever he was absent, Frigga would take over teaching him.

It never ceased to amaze the queen how much the two boys were like her own sons. Fenrir, the rough-and-tumble, outgoing one, and Jormagundar was every bit the quiet-but-mischievous younger brother. Even though they were both the same age (14 years as the mortals counted it), Gunner was noticeably smaller than his brother, both in height and build. Both boys resembled their father, except Fenrir had his mother's grey eyes, not the brilliant jade green that his father, sister, and younger brother were graced with.

In the distance, Fenrir saw the familiar flare of the Bifrost. He raced back over to Frigga and Gunner.

"They're here! They're here! Come on, we should go meet them." He pleaded. Frigga ruffled his hair.

"Very well, but let's see if we can meet them half-way."

"Yes Grandmother." Fenrir took Frigga's hand and waited while Gunner tucked his book into his travel pouch.

"I'm ready!" he said.

* * *

When the dome stopped spinning, Darcy thought that she couldn't be happier. Loki held out an arm to steady her, though he avoided eye contact. Heimdall regarded the pair impassively.

"Welcome back to Asgard, my prince." He greeted Loki. Loki inclined his head. The gatekeeper turned to Darcy. "And to you as well, Miss Lewis. Loki's sons are eager to see you again." Darcy smirked a little.

"I'll be sure to brace myself, then. I remember from last time, they're masters of the flying tackle-glomp." Heimdall gave her one of his rare smiles.

"Indeed. Safe passage to you both." Heimdall bowed once more as they left. Loki glanced down at Darcy.

"Looks like there's someone else who wanted to meet you." He said. Darcy smiled when she saw Sleipnir waiting impatiently on the bridge for them. Darcy ran forward and threw her arms around the stallion's neck. Sleipnir nickered happily, snuffling at her pockets.

"What are you looking for? This?" she teased, holding out a peppermint. Loki grinned, watching them.

"Don't give him too many sweets; Hela already spoils him." Darcy glanced up at the horse.

"Is this true, Sleipnir?" The horse shook his mane, snorting derisively.

"Don't lie, son, it's a nasty habit." Loki chided. Darcy snickered.

"Just one won't hurt." Sleipnir snatched the mint and carefully rested his chin on Darcy's shoulder. "Aww, you're welcome, hon." She said, running her hand across the velvety skin of his nose. "Can we go for a ride?" she asked Loki. The trickster shrugged.

"You'll have to ask him." He replied.

"What do you say, big fella?" If Sleipnir had been given a human/Jotun form, he would've been grinning. He crow-hopped to the side, and then stood still, waiting for them to mount. Loki held his hands out for Darcy to step up.

"I would've thought that last time would deter you from any more equestrian pursuits…" he quipped. Darcy laughed.

"You obviously don't know me as well as you thought." Loki smirked a little.

"Sleipnir, shall we show Darcy the true meaning of haste?"

"Dude, that was so Lord of the Rings…whoops, sorry…" Darcy said, accidentally elbowing Loki in the ribs as he hoisted himself up into the saddle behind her.

"I'm not sure I understand…"

"If I ever get to go back to my apartment, I'll have to familiarize you with the awesomeness that is Lord of the Rings…"

"I look forward to it. Sleipnir? Shall we?" Sleipnir reared up, and took off at a canter. Darcy laughed as the wind whipped through her hair, the bite of it nearly taking her breath away.

Loki smiled when he heard her laugh. It was one of the many reasons he had turned to tricks and mischief. It wasn't meant to harm, just provide a little diversion to the dull, serious Aesir lifestyle. All for the sake of a laugh or two.

Sleipnir slowed down to a walk as they approached Frigga and the boys. Finally, Fenrir's excitement seemed to have had some effect on Gunner, and both of them were bouncing excitedly. Loki helped Darcy down, and they were both subjected to the enthusiastic embraces of the boys.

"Darcy! You came back!" Fenrir exclaimed. Darcy picked him up and whirled him around. He laughed as she set him back down. He was reluctant to let go, but knew that Gunner wanted to give her a hug.

"Good to see you too, kiddo." She turned and got down on Gunner's level, pulling him into her arms. The shy little boy buried his face in her shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.

"I missed you a lot…" he whispered. Darcy gave him an extra squeeze before she stood to greet Frigga.

"Hi Loki's mom!" she said brightly. Frigga smiled a little.

"Welcome back, Darcy." The queen pulled both Darcy and Gunner into her arms. "We need to talk later." She whispered so that the little boy wouldn't hear. Darcy nodded, her mouth going a little dry, recalling the attack by the Loki doppelganger.

"Yes ma'am." She said. She couldn't quite bring herself to say 'milady', or 'Your Majesty'. The irreverent side of her just wouldn't allow it. Frigga seemed to sense it, and gave her a ghost of a smile.

"Let us be off, then."

* * *

The wind swept across the desolate expanse of Jotunheim. A lone figure approached the temple, finally making it to the throne room at the center. The king, Byleistr sat forward with an eager expression. The figure bowed before throwing back his hood. Odin slowly transformed back to himself, white hair overtaking the ebony, and his smooth pale skin fading back to the wrinkled tan. Upon recognizing the guest, four of the guards leapt forward, with their ice-tipped spears pointed at the traveler's throat and heart.

"All-father, why do you come?" the Jotun king sneered. Odin ignored the tone.

"I have a proposition for you, which may solve both of our problems." Byleistr motioned to the guards, who stepped back to their normal posts.

"I'm listening."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I swear I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. Writer's block and real life have been most unkind to me. It may be a while before I update again, I'm sure you all understand. I'm working on a prequel to 'Little Brother' as well, entitled 'A Match Made in Jotunheim', which I would love for you to check out. **

**As for this chapter, there's not much Odin in it, but the next chapter, we might see a little more of his plan. *shifty eyes* Maybe.**

**Reviews are love!**

* * *

That evening, after the children were in bed, Darcy met up with Frigga, Loki, and Thor.

"So, why exactly is Odin after me?" she asked. Frigga sighed.

"You understand that Loki's children were foretold to be the ones to bring about Ragnarok. Odin didn't take into account that the future can be changed, based on one's actions. He killed Angrboda, and tried to get rid of the children so that he could stop the prophecies from coming true."

"I'm sorry, but I can't really see Fenrir and Gunner bringing about the apocalypse…" Darcy remarked, trying not to picture Gunner and Thor killing each other.

"They can't at the moment. They're too young, and the future may have already changed. Unless of course, Odin keeps meddling." Loki added, before Frigga could reply. "But knowing him, he will stop at nothing."

"So, what does this have to do with me? Loki and I aren't _that_ involved…we haven't…no…" Frigga smiled. "It was just a quick kiss goodbye, nothing more. I didn't think…" she directed a sidelong glance at the trickster. Loki held up his hands.

"I give you my word, it was nothing more than that. If it was something more, believe me, you would have known." He replied, a slight smirk crossing his features. Darcy felt her cheeks go red at the thought of the two of them..._No, don't think about it. Don't think about it…_ Frigga sensed her discomfort, and decided to ignore her son's implications and Darcy's scarlet cheeks.

"I know, but Odin hasn't exactly been known for making well-thought out decisions. Believe me, I would know."

"I guess that's true. So how long is it going to be before I can go home?" Loki took her hand.

"We'll do the best we can to stop him quickly." He reassured her. Darcy nodded.

"So, basically, I'm stuck here until you find him?" Loki nodded.

"He cannot re-enter Asgard for the moment, but he may be able to get to other realms and try to strike a deal with our enemies. You have to understand that this is for your own safety, Darcy." The queen said.

"Yes. Thanks for the concern." Frigga glanced out the window towards the rising moon.

"It's time we all got some sleep." She said. Loki nodded.

"I'll show Darcy to her room. Thank you, mother." He pulled her into a hug, and then guided Darcy to one of the guest chambers. After ensuring that she was safe in her room, he went to check on the children one last time before he retired to his own chambers.

* * *

He peered around the doorpost in Hela's room. In her sleep, she had kicked the blankets off, so, he went in, and pulled them back up over her. She stirred slightly beneath the covers and opened her eyes a bit. Seeing Loki sitting next to her, she held an arm out to him. Loki smiled and kissed her forehead.

"How long is Darcy staying, Father?" she asked, stifling a yawn. Loki smoothed her hair out, and shrugged.

"As long as she has to. I'm not sure. We're going to find Odin and put a stop to this, though. I can promise you that." Hela shivered slightly, remembering the spell the All-father had placed over her.

"You can't let him hurt her. She's actually rather fun, for a mortal." Loki nodded.

"I know, my dear. I will do everything in my power to keep him from harming you, your brothers, or Darcy. You believe me, right?" Hela nodded, putting her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.

"I do." She lowered herself back onto the mattress. "Good night, Father."

"Good night, Hela." After straightening the covers one last time he walked towards the door.

"Father?" Loki paused.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Do you love her?" Loki smiled a little.

"Why do you ask?"

"Why are you answering my questions with more questions?"

"I'm not sure, Hela. I treasure the friendship that Darcy and I share, certainly, but to call it love might be something of a stretch."

"Not that much of a stretch. You wouldn't have brought her here if you didn't at least care for her a little." Loki turned back around. He knew that as the former queen of the dead, Hela had a similar gift to Frigga's visions of the future, mostly pertaining to life and death. His curiosity piqued, he went back over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Have you seen something?" Hela shrugged.

"Glimpses, here and there, nothing certain. I saw several possibilities, but who knows what will be and what will not." Loki nodded. "Gunner seems quite taken with her."

"Indeed, he does. But then, she was there when we rescued him, and she was his comforter when he had nightmares those first few nights. It is no wonder he has an attachment to her."

"I always wondered what life would have been like if Mother had lived…" she mused. Loki held up his hands.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Hela." He laughed. "You and your brothers are my life now. " Hela sat up, and hopped up onto Loki's lap, content to let him hold her.

"But you need to think about yourself too. We're not going to hold it against you." Loki rocked her gently, his cheek resting against her hair, as silky and black as a raven's feathers.

"I don't want to make the same mistakes as Odin. I can't let the past repeat itself." Hela tightened her arms around his chest.

"You're not Odin." She said finally. Comfortable silence reigned, and Hela slowly drifted off to sleep, listening to the sound of her father's heartbeat. To her it was better than any lullaby. Ever since the incident where she had actually killed him, she swore she would never take him into her halls again. Loki knew she still felt a small measure of guilt over it, but he in turn did all he could to prove that he did not hold it against her. Loki picked her up, and set her back under the covers.

"Sleep well, Hrafninn.*" After giving her one last kiss, he left.

* * *

Next, he checked on the boys. At first, Loki panicked when he saw that Jormagundar's bed was empty. He looked over at Fenrir, and saw both of them curled up together under the covers. Gunner had his head resting on Fenrir's shoulder, and the older boy had his arms around him.

This certainly brought back memories. All the times he had gone to Thor's room as a child, seeking comfort from the nightmares that used to plague him, Thor's sleepy promises to keep the nightmares from coming true all came back to him. The memories were almost too much. Loki passed a hand over his eyes, and snuffed out the lamp. The moon was bright enough they didn't need the candle to see if they woke up over night.

Knowing that all was well for the time being, he laid down on his bed, and fell asleep

* * *

***Hrafninn- 'little bird', Loki's nickname for Hela.**


	5. Chapter 5

The Byleistr considered killing Odin, and just being done with it. Did the All-father really think that the Jotnar would be so willing to go along with another plan like this?

"How do I know that this is not a trap for me? The last time someone openly invited the Jotuns to invade Asgard, it didn't end well. We lost our best men, and in the end, our King, my father, was killed."

"You are not dealing with the Trickster this time."

"But who raised him to become so? You offer me the Casket, but I will not be baited as my father was."

"I would do it myself, except I cannot enter Asgard by my own power. You will be rewarded if you are successful; if not, I can search for help elsewhere. I only thought that you might be interested. The prize can always go to someone besides you…" Odin replied with a shrug. Byleistr tensed. The idea of the Casket falling into the hands of another realm was too horrifying. Did he really have a choice?

"Tell me what you need, All-father."

* * *

Darcy woke up early the next day, but didn't exactly feel like going looking for Loki. After his comment last night concerning their kiss, she couldn't even think about him without blushing. She wasn't sure what she'd do if she actually spoke with him face to face. Instead, she decided to explore the palace a little. Donning one of the dresses she had found at the foot of her bed that morning, she wandered the halls. An open door caught her attention. Golden light spilled onto the floor from the glass-like ceiling. Darcy couldn't contain her curiosity, and stepped into the room, awestruck by the shelves upon shelves of books and scrolls.

"Wow…" she breathed, and she went further in.

Normally her reading was limited to Jane's cryptic science notes, but this was too good to pass up. Maybe Loki had a journal or something.

_That could be fun… _

She immediately brushed the thought aside. If she was going to hear about Loki's childhood, she wanted to hear it from him. Even then, she was sure she wouldn't get the whole truth, so, it was better just to leave well enough alone. After wandering around a bit, she settled down at a writing desk. It looked almost like no one had sat at it in years. An old leather-bound book lay untouched, along with an inkwell and a delicately carved silver pen. Carefully Darcy opened the cover, finding row after row of neat runes inscribed on the creamy parchment. At first they looked like absolute gibberish, but the more she stared at it, the more it made sense. This was a journal. She cocked her head to one side, working out the name at the end of each entry.

Darcy smiled when she worked it all out in her head. This had belonged to Angrboda. She turned the page, lost in the stories and recollections that lay before her. This woman was amazing. Darcy could kinda understand why Loki fell for her. Captured in the aftermath of a battle, forced to stay in Asgard as a sort of flesh-and-blood collateral. Then when she was offered the chance to go back to her homeland, she chose to stay. By the time Darcy finished reading, she was gripping the edge of the desk. She took a deep breath and started to turn a couple pages back.

A hand reached across the desk and slammed the book shut. Darcy looked up to see Loki, a dangerously blank expression on his face.

"What are you doing in here?" Darcy backed away from the desk.

"Frigga told me I was allowed to explore the library…I…"

"That didn't mean snoop. This is private." He gestured to the book.

"I'm sorry, already."

"I ask you only once. Do not touch this desk again." Darcy cocked her head to one side.

"Why don't you ever talk about her? Your wife? She was amazing! Your kids ask about her, but you never give them any real answers."

"Because it would do them more harm than good, Darcy. That's why."

"How can it hurt them? They've already been hurt enough, don't you think? They already know what Odin's capable of. He held them captive all their lives. They know what he did to their mother." Loki punched the wooden tabletop.

"Darcy, I will answer their questions when I deem them to be ready for the answers."

"You'd better figure out that they're ready for answers now. Before they start to think that you're trying to hide something from them."

"DON'T SPEAK OF THINGS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" he shouted. Darcy flattened herself against the wall, completely taken aback. Loki realized his mistake too late, and he watched as she fled the room, closing the door behind her. He glanced back over at the desk, and sat down with his head in his hands.

_What have I done?_

* * *

Darcy sat down on her bed, her hands starting to shake. She had seen footage of Loki from the attack on New York, and knew that he was capable of rage. How could anyone not notice it?

She just hadn't ever counted on being the recipient.

"Are you well, Darcy?" a soft voice asked. Darcy glanced up to see Hela standing in the doorway. The girl watched her warily, ready to leave if Darcy wanted her to.

"I'm fine…just a little…uh…"

"Don't lie to me Darcy. You can't really hide much from me." Hela interrupted, smiling a little. "I saw the entire exchange. You are right, though. He will see it soon enough. May I sit?"

"Sure. Who am I to stop the Queen of the Dead?" Darcy replied with a wry grin. Hela laughed.

"Actually, I'm taking a little break from my former post. I have a regent in place at the moment, and I am simply Hela Lokidottir for the time being."

"Regent? How exactly do you choose a regent for the realm of the dead?"

"He's had experience in that field. I'm merely expanding his domain for the moment."

"This guy got a name?" Darcy prodded.

"Fergus. He's a long-time friend. But I'm not here to talk about him."

"What's his real name?"

"Fergus Roderick McLeod. Does this satisfy you?"

"Better, yeah, thanks. But why are you here? I don't want to get between you and your dad. Or your brothers and your dad, for that matter."

"I know. I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad you read my mother's journal. You understand the gravity of Odin's actions, and why he must be stopped. I don't want to have to take your soul into my halls any more than I want to take my father's. If Odin manages to return, that's exactly what he'll do, regardless of whether or not you and my father are in love." Darcy nodded.

"He already tried to kill me once. Loki stopped him." Hela's brows knit together in confusion.

"What did he do? Tell me." She demanded. Darcy held out her arms and showed Hela the black and blue bruises that were the only visible evidence that she'd been attacked. "What else did he do?" Hela asked, running her fingertip along one of the bruises.

"I don't know. I felt like I was on fire on the inside, but Loki stopped it. What does that mean?"

"That you should have told Frigga what happened." Darcy glanced down at her arms.

"I'm assuming it's a bad thing...But it's not like I can actually die from a couple bruises, right?"

The look on Hela's face was not at all reassuring.

* * *

**A/N: Minor cliffie aside, anyone care to guess who Hela's regent is? He's from another fairly popular fandom. TFKpuppet knows, it was her idea. Sort of. Reviews make me happy, suggestions make me think harder about where this is going. Otherwise, work is going to take over my life, and we wouldn't want that, now would we?**


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